Quakertown to close Haycock school

Friday

QUAKERTOWN SCHOOLS - Before a packed room of upset and highly emotionally parents, the Quakertown school board voted Thursday to close Haycock Elementary School.

After two decades of discussion about closing the rural school, which has about 120 students, the board voted 6-3 to shutter the building. The board also voted to redistrict the remaining six elementary schools, which is estimated to affect 184 students.

Board members Paul Stepanoff, Pat McCandless and Zane Stauffer - all of whom represent the region that includes Haycock - voted against the closure.

Between closing Haycock and redistricting the other schools, Quakertown expects to reduce up to 11 staffing positions and save about $1.23 million. Closing Haycock is also expected to save $14 million by 2020 through staffing reductions, the avoidance of renovations on the school, and the elimination of operational expenses.

Closing Haycock was part of the district's solution to plug its budget gap, a hole resulting from declining tax revenue, state and federal money.

On Thursday, the board voted 5-4 on a proposed 2011-12 budget of $88.8 million, which would raise taxes by 1.36 percent, or 1.88 mills. That's a $49 jump for the average taxpayer. The district would also use $2.8 million from its fund balance, leaving about $4.4 million in reserves.

The 2011-12 budget, as it stands, actually represents a $1.5 million decrease in expenses from the 2010-11 budget.

A final budget will be voted on in June.

The board meeting was highly charged and at times downright uncivil.

A parade of parents, some with tear-filled eyes, others with palpable anger, implored the board not to shutter their school, which serves as a focal point for their community. They also blasted the board for bringing the issue back to the table after a hearing last year led to a vote not to close the school.

One parent shouted at the board members that they had no integrity before she stormed out of the meeting room.

"The teachers and staff there are amazing," she said. "What they are doing there is something to be commended - not closed down."

Though the majority of the 100 meeting attendees supported keeping Haycock open, Milford resident and school board candidate Joyce King implored the board to "consider what is best for taxpayers as a whole."

"Times are tough for the taxpayers in the district. Quakertown is not unique. Our neighbors in Palisades are considering it as well," she said, referring to Palisades' discussions over closing Durham-Nockamixon Elementary in the future.

Last September, after holding a state-mandated meeting over closing Haycock, the board voted not to shutter it. Parents assumed that meant their school was safe for at least another year and blasted the board for breaking its promise.

"I don't feel we reneged on a promise," said board member Nancy Tirjan. "We didn't vote to leave it open."

After consulting with the district's attorney and the state Department of Education, the administration learned another hearing was unnecessary.

But the board meeting unraveled after Director Paul Stepanoff presented a letter from the Education Department allegedly questioning the legality of closing a school without another hearing.

Addressing Stepanoff, board President Dean Wackerman said, "I don't know why we can't work together. You go for the dramatics. We don't have to have theatrics to get things done."

After a 10-minute executive session, the board reconvened and voted to close the school, but not before Stepanoff proposed a failed amendment to cut one principal position.

Later, Tirjan clarified the issue over the letter when she said Stepanoff's letter actually contained information similar to what the district received.

"There really is no story here. It's a non-issue," she said.

Moving forward, the administration will begin working on redistricting the elementary schools' boundaries. Efforts will be made to keep siblings together and keep bus travel time to a minimum. Superintendent Lisa Andrejko said the administration will work with the principals, faculties and parent-teacher groups to try to ease the transition.

The district hopes to eventually rent out Haycock Elementary. There is an interested tenant but how much money the building would generate is uncertain at this time.

Hilary Bentman can be reached at 215-538-6380 or hbentman@phillyBurbs.com Follow Hilary on Twitter at twitter.com/HilaryBentman

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